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Injustice (What If/Elseworlds): What if Pokemon Challenged Gods Among Us?

Marvel fans will recognize the “What if?” title as a comic series that explored scenarios with different outcomes than what actually happened in the mainstream Marvel Universe. DC fans will recognize the “Elseworlds” title in a similar capacity, a comic series that explored alternate realities outside of DC’s known Earths and Universes. So why not apply the ideas of these two unreal titles to Injustice: Gods Among Us mobile?

Question: What if Pokemon Challenged Gods Among Us?

There are purists who would immediately argue that DC games should be kept pure, and that the things of Elseworlds, such as the Amalgam story arc, which had Marvel’s universe battle DC’s universe, really have no place. However, modern fans are becoming more and more vocal about crossover potential and certain franchises are so beloved that mixing streams is slowly becoming more and more possible. A case in point would be the recent announcement of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Shredder being teleoprted by Krang into Gotham for a new Elseworld’s arc. Marvel has come over to play, TMNT has come over to play, so why not Pokemon?

1) Ash Ketchum

Every Pokemon generation’s main man essentially has the undying, competitive attitude of Street Fighter‘sRyu with the necessary naivety that all adults seem to lack in the realm of anime. Because Ash is a young boy without super powers, he would be an ideal Bronze card that relies on his Pokemon team to get the job done.

His special attacks would summon Bulbasaur (Ivysaur is pictured since a hidden cookie would be that the Pokemon evolve with each special attack that summons them in-game), Squirtle. and the powerful Charizard to inflict a variety of status effects on the foe via his pokeballs. Unlike other characters, these status effects would damage the whole opponent’s team (AREA EFFECT) rather than one tagged-in card-fighter. In the end, Ash has always wanted to be the very best, the best there ever was. How he arrived in the DC Universe wouldn’t matter as much as how he could train Pokemon to win. And let’s not kid ourselves because a Master Ball would be an amazing Gear card, which could serve as a new means to get rare cards from others without outright stealing them or hacking.

2) Machamp

Having a behemoth like Machamp would test the fighting prowess of any DC god, hero, villain, or individual from Kanto. Just imagine what a 4-armed Cross Chop maneuver would look like with the cut-scene video for his Super Attack. Another advantage he has, similar to how fire doesn’t bother the Martian Manhunter in Injusticemobile, would be how Psychic or Flying type Pokemon also couldn’t thrash Machamp out of a match in one attack.

Machamp’s classic Smelling Salts technique would be altered and used as his passive. As card-fighters Geared for Damage can quickly win matches in under 45 seconds, Machamp’s Smelling Salts would allow him to stay in the match because he could only be knocked-out by a Super Attack. If one didn’t have any Power in one’s tank or if a close match were to be going down, then all those hours of breaking stones and training in a regional gym would be horrific for the unprepared Multi-Player.

3) Mew

Let’s say Celebi or Diolga used their time traveling abilities irresponsibly and accidentally opened a warp into the DC Universe. Mew would undoubtedly appear to both watch over the Pokemon being threatened on Earth as well as to explore what its fellow Legendary Pokemon had wrought.

Mew’s DNA, which holds elements of all Pokemon, would serve as wonderful new hybrid passive. Mew’s combo-enders could inflict any unique effect and tags-in would also randomly let Mew pass all status effects that had been inflcited onto the foe. We’ve all been frozen by the two Killer Frosts in the game, but randomly freezing them back is long overdue!

4) Pikachu

With Ash expanding the Bronze card-class, Pikachu would be perfect for expanding the Silver card-class. The little electro-speedster could inflict his classic Thunder as a high damage 2nd Special attack since Static and Shazam dominate the Gold card-class in that respect.

Furthermore, Pikachu could have a highly annoying role on any team, Gold or otherwise, as his Zap Cannon special could potentially drain all of the opposing team’s Power bars upon tag-in. Some may say the beloved Pikachu is a “tag-in Regime Aquaman’s Super Attack” and we’d agree. Also, that’s a bad thing, why?

5) Victini

The card-fighter Pokemon have been rooted in Generation 1 until now. The Legendary Victini is a Fire and Psychic type. Therefore, Victini would use one of those types depending on how its team was doing in the match. If Victini’s team had more Health than the opposing team, then he would use his Fire type skills to add fire damage to all of his teammates basic attacks. On the other hand, if Victini’s team has less total health then the other team, it would add 30% to Power generation with his Psychic type skills to help level the playing field.

With those god-like abilities, both the Insurgency and Regime armies in Injusticewould join Ash in catching them all. Hell, knowing the way Lex rolls, he’s probably already captured Mewtwo with a Luthor Corp ball, and Robin’s most likely already changed his name to Crobatman.

Lastly, the Pokemon universe would be a welcome, bizarre though badass addition to Injustice. Their overall fighting skills and otherworldy powers could sway the battle to either side of the DC Universe.